Memorial Day 2020

SFA Chapter Commo Sgt's comment: I do not know the origin on the following article. It was sent to me in an e-mail. It gives a slightly different perspective on Memorial Day and still recognizing the obligation and honor to remember those who gave all.

Here are some numbers we might remember on Memorial Day:

In World War II more than 16 million Americans were in uniform, and 400,000 died—or, 2.5%.

More than 5.7 million were in uniform during the Korean War, with 1.8 million deploying to the theater, and 37,000 dying (or 2% of the deployed).

During the Vietnam War 9 million were in the military, with 2.7 million actually serving in the combat zone. The 58,000 American deaths in the war were about .65% of 9 million in uniform and about 2% of those who went to Vietnam.

The First Gulf War, Desert Storm/Desert Shield, saw 2.3 million in uniform, with 700,000 deploying and about 400 dying. Testament to how lightning quick we won the war, those 400 were .06% of those who deployed.

In the fifteen years of the present two wars, 2.5 million individual Americans have deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, with just under 7,000 dying. With our population of over 310 million, that is less than 1% of all us Americans going to war. Of that tiny 1%, the 7,000 who died represent just .35% of those who deployed—a third of one percent.

On Memorial Day, simply because of the proximity to these two present-day wars, it might be more natural to think first of those 7,000 who have died in Afghanistan and Iraq. After all, they are our sons and daughters and brothers and sisters and nephews and nieces and high school buddies and college chums—if only knowing them not by name or face but by a couple of degrees removed, as a relative or friend of a friend of a friend.

On Memorial Day we might also have a special remembrance for those 58,000 from Vietnam, who many of us are old enough to remember personally as family or friends. And perhaps we should even recognize those Vietnam veterans still living, if for no other reason but to counter the undeserved scorn heaped on many of them upon returning from the war, (yes, they were even spat upon). A thanks today acknowledges the wrongness of disrespecting and scorning soldiers for serving honorably in a war that they did not start, had no say in its horrible execution and could not be held accountable for its loss?

In its essence Memorial Day is our country’s honoring of those who accepted the obligation asked of them, no matter the war, but were unfortunate to be that small percentage who did not return home. A part of me also can’t help but acknowledge those who have returned from Iraq and Afghanistan with severe physical wounds. Limbs lost, eyesight gone, bodies deformed and scarred with terrible burns, disabling brain trauma.

Urgent Request - Please Support Wreaths Across America

Donations are still needed to honor fallen US veterans on December 17, 2016. SFA Chapter IX is heavily involved in this effort for the Fort Bliss National Cemetery, sponsoring at least 35 wreaths for fallen Green Berets buried there.

On Saturday, December 17, volunteers all across the United States will place donated wreaths on the graves of hundreds of thousands of veterans. The annual tradition known as National Wreaths Across America Day got its start in 1992 as a way honor their service and remember their lives. If the event took place today, however, over 100,000 graves at Arlington National Cemetery would be left without a remembrance wreath.

Wreaths Across America is a donation-based organization that receives no money from the government. They raise more than $3 million each year to reach their goal of honoring hundreds of thousands of U.S. veterans with wreaths, and the number grows as more and more men and women who have served pass away.

A mission to honor heroes. Every December, thousands of wreaths are escorted from Harrington, Maine to the nation’s capital, where they are placed at Arlington National Cemetery with the help of many volunteers. The result is a breathtaking sight. On the same day, hundreds of thousands more wreaths are distributed around the country and beyond.

What has become known as the country’s longest veterans parade will begin this year on Saturday, December 10 with a sunrise service at a state park in Maine. For the next seven days, trucks filled with wreaths will caravan down the East Coast to Washington, D.C., stopping at schools, memorials and other locations along the way to spread the Wreaths Across America mission: Remember, honor and teach. The organization’s website details what that mission really means:

“Remember our fallen U.S. veterans. Honor those who serve. Teach your children the value of freedom.”

The escort to Arlington is symbolic of that mission. According to the Wreaths Across America website, the pilgrimage began 25 years ago when Maine wreath maker Morrill Worchester discovered he had a surplus of holiday wreaths. Worchester was greatly impacted by a visit to Arlington as a child, and he wanted to do something to pay tribute to our nation’s heroes. So, he donated the extra wreaths to be placed on graves in one of the cemetery’s older sections. This tribute continued each year until 2005, when a photo showing the donated wreaths on graves covered in snow went viral. Requests began pouring in from all over the country from people wanting to help honor our nation’s heroes.

In 2007, the Worchester family and many of those who had helped with the annual wreath donations formed the non-profit organization known as Wreaths Across America. In 2008, over 100,000 wreaths were placed on veterans’ graves at over 300 locations, and Congress declared the day of the event Wreaths Across America Day.

In 2014, volunteers laid over 700,000 wreaths at more than 1,000 locations in the United States and beyond. The event is usually held on the second or third Saturday in December. Volunteers who lay a wreath on a grave are encouraged to take a moment to say that veteran’s name aloud and thank them for their service. It’s about remembering their lives, instead of their deaths.

The mission continues in 2016. As of Wednesday morning, a Wreaths Across America spokeswoman said approximately 130,000 individual wreath sponsorships had been received for Arlington National Cemetery. A total of 245,000 sponsorships are needed to ensure every service member buried at Arlington is honored with a wreath placement—meaning 115,000 more sponsorships are still needed to meet the goal.

But the overall need is even greater than that. Close to 1,000,000 wreaths are expected to be placed on the graves of veterans across the country-- aside from Arlington-- on December 17. Donations for locations nationally are up more than 20 percent from last year, a spokeswoman said.

How you can help:

SPONSOR A WREATH: Wreath sponsorships are $15 each, and can be purchased online. Click here for a link to donate.

The deadline for online donations for the 1,200 participating locations around the country has been extended through December 3. The deadline to sponsor a wreath at Arlington is December 14, or until the last truck of wreaths leaves Maine headed for the nation’s capital.

Sponsor a wreath around the country. Search for a specific cemetery, or find one that is participating near you. You’ll find options to donate, volunteer or see information about ceremonies planned for Dec. 17. On each page, you’ll find information about how many wreaths are needed, and how many have already been sponsored.

Sponsor a wreath at Arlington National Cemetery. A total of 245,000 remembrance wreaths are needed at our nation's most hallowed ground. If you'd like to donate one, click here.

VOLUNTEER: Help is needed at each cemetery, including Arlington, to place wreaths on National Wreaths Across America Day. If you’d like to volunteer to help, you’re encouraged to register online. Though registration isn’t required, those who register will receive updates specific to their location in advance of the event.